


maybe the next waltz

by Anonymous



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Fix-It, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 10:45:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11849967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: 1 and...Not all chances that slip through our fingers mean there's no hope for the future.2 and....Not all people whose hand we've let go are lost to us forever.3So let's dance again, you and me.





	maybe the next waltz

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvilMuffins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMuffins/gifts).



> Happy Rare Pair Fest, EvilMuffins! I have a lot of emotions about these two, so thank you for the opportunity to vent some of them! I hope this fic is anything to your liking.

The sound of waves hitting the shore is in synch with his heartbeat, the sun warm on his skin and so dazzlingly bright that it’s hard to keep his eyes open. He takes a few steps, his feet sinking into the fine sand, and listens to the cries of seagulls somewhere overhead, the birds themselves mere black dots against an endless blue sky.

“It’s exactly like you said, Slaine!”

Her voice is clear and radiant like the ring of a silver bell, and Slaine’s heart skips when he turns and sees her dance along the surf, breathless with joy, the hem of her white skirt transparent with water and her hair trailing behind her like a pale golden veil.

“Why are you still standing there? Come!”

He stretches out his hand instinctively, and she takes it into hers, her grip gentle and reassuring as she pulls him into the waves with him. Somewhere in the back of his mind the memory of the ocean swallowing him up before rises, but it’s vague and dark like a far-off echo, evoking a sense of cold and despair.

“I’ve always wanted to see this sight together with you,” she goes on, seemingly unconcerned by his hesitation. “I wish we could stay here forever, don’t you agree, Slaine?”

“Forever? We can’t, because I have to-”

Slaine stops, frowning. The reason he had just been so sure of eludes him all of a sudden. There’s something he was supposed to do, something important enough that even this moment of happiness could not outweigh it. What was it?

“Slaine?”

There’s uncertainty in her voice now, her expression concerned and she grips his hand with both of hers, bringing them close to her lips, close enough to sense her breath on his knuckles. He feels a rush of déjà-vu all of a sudden, but it’s strangely alien, because he can’t seem to pinpoint what exactly this reminds him of. A cloud drifts over the sun, but the cold that settles over him, making him shiver, doesn’t fit a summer’s day even in the shade. Out of the corner of his eyes, he thinks he catches a glimpse of snowflakes.

“What’s wrong? You don’t have to go anywhere. I’m right here.”

 

_I’m right here, Inaho-san._

 

Slaine wakes with a strangled scream, his heart hammering against his ribs, his breath coming in short, laboured pants. It has been a long time since he has last suffered from nightmares like this, the worst of them torturing his guilty conscience the weeks following upon his coming to the Moon Base.

Although he had kept repeating to himself that the Princess would surely recover, that she would pull off the miracle of escaping certain death once more, just seeing her suffer because of his indecision felt like ice slowly spreading through his veins, desperation and regret threatening to swallow him up from the inside until he had learned to guard himself against these thoughts

He sits upon his bed now and rests his face in his hands, trying to focus. It was just a nightmare, a cruel mixture of his hopes of the days past and the memory of events that had crushed them forever, but one that could not hurt him any longer. The miracle had come, Asseylum had regained her consciousness and managed to fulfil her cherished dream. It was just that he had lost his chance of being at her side to see it come to fruition.

It was my own fault, he reminds himself. I’ve made the wrong choice and she almost lost her life over it as a result. I’ll face my sentence and remain here for however long they deem fit. I have no right to get involved with her future anymore.

Reminding himself of the reality of his situation brings a sense of calmness, and Slaine can feel his pulse slow down. With a sigh, he drops his hands. As his glance falls on the blanket, even in the relative darkness of his room something instantly strikes him as odd.

He clearly remembers the texture and pattern of the military issued bed sheets he’s been waking up to every day for the past year without exception, and these aren’t them. He frowns and only now takes the time to take in his surroundings more alertly.

The barred window should be to the left, the sliver of light coming from under the door on the right. It has been the same sight every day, the place so familiar to him that he knows by heart the number of nails on the skirting, the irregularities in the wall plaster’s pattern, the exact pitch of the squeaking of the mattress’ springs.

He’s on his feet before he can properly process what this means, his back to the wall and facing the door to his left. A quick check of his attire tells him that at least this was consistent with his memory of the previous night, which had been nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s only a minor sense of relief.

Somehow, while he had been asleep, someone had brought him somewhere else. For what reason? Surely, if it had a simple reason like him being transferred to a different cell or location, they would have done so during the day. For all that his imprisonment was off the books, the United Forces were abiding by standard procedures, and this really didn’t seem like anything they would do.

No, this was the work of someone else.

Again, Slaine can feel his pulse pick up the pace, but not because of blind panic, but in the same controlled state of alertness he remembers from the moments of preparing for battle. He experimentally clenches his fist, and notes with relief that it doesn’t seem as if whatever he had no doubt been given as a sedative to sleep through the transport seems to have left no lingering effects. It has been a long time since he last fought, although his weird enemy turned prison supervisor had insisted he should at least get some physical exercise, so Slaine was determined to at least not go down without a struggle should whoever had brought him here turn out to be hostile.

As he’s still debating whether he should make his way to the door to try and check if it’s locked, there’s a noise coming from the other side, soft footsteps followed by the click of the lock.

Slaine straightens his back, prepared to face whatever would be thrown at him, but against the sudden bright backdrop of the hallway outside, he can barely make out a tall silhouette in the doorframe. He squinted his eyes, trying to adjust quickly to overcome his disadvantage, but in the very next moment the person is already on the move.

 His entire body tenses, expecting an attack, but instead the person falls to his knees in front of him.

“Slaine-sama, I’m so glad to see you again!”

At the mere sound of the man’s voice, relief washes over Slaine like a wave, and he stares down at his former servant in utter disbelief. His face was still barely visible in the shadows, but Slaine recognises the fall of his dark hair and his posture without fail.

“Harklight?” His voice is weak and almost breaks, and it’s only then that he notices he’s close to crying. “But why- how-”

“I’m very sorry you woke under these circumstances, Milord, you must no doubt have been unsettled at first,” Harklight interrupted him, bowing his head again. “I didn’t want to leave your side before you woke, but an urgent message arrived, so-”

“Don’t worry about that.” Slaine reached out and placed his hand on Harklight’s shoulder. It was solid and warm to his touch, and he let himself believe that it wasn’t another dream of his. “And I think I told you not to be this formal around me before, Harklight.”

The man laughs softly and gets to his feet. He’s still towering Slaine by a good head, and now that he’s stepped a bit to the side in the column of light falling in from the outside, Slaine can see that he’s no longer wearing any version of Vers military uniform, but instead an unremarkable black jacket and dark pants. It was the type of get-up chosen to vanish among the crowd, Slaine thinks, and along with the fact that they are undoubtedly still on Earth, he can guess as to why it would be necessary.

“Please explain what’s going on, Harklight. What happened?”

Even with his face still half in shadow, Slaine can tell that Harklight is evading his eyes.

“I wish it wouldn’t have been necessary to rush things like this, but things escaped my control, I’m sorry.”

Slaine opens his mouth to ask what exactly he means, but Harklight steps to the side and motions at him to move.

“I’ll explain as we go, Slaine-sama.”

He lets the superfluous honorific slide as he follows Harklight out of the small room into narrow hallway. The hardwood floor is cold to his bare feet, but Slaine hardly takes notice of it as he scans his environment. It’s the first time he’s really seeing anything new in a year, and he drinks in the details. The house smells of dust and wood, and the floor creaks ever so slightly under their weight. On one side of the hallway, there’s three doors, the other side lined with storage cupboards with sliding doors from the looks of it.

“This is an abandoned house not too far from where you’ve been kept the past year,” Harklight explains as they reach the point where the hallway takes a sharp turn to the right. “It’s absolutely safe here, so please don’t worry.”

So they were still in Kaizuka’s home country, Slaine thinks, trying to cast a look outside the window they just passed by, but it was entirely dark outside. From a room somwhere ahead, he can make out the low hum of voices. He slows his steps, and Harklight notices almost instantly.

“Don’t worry, Slaine-sama, everyone here is your friend.”

His voice is soft, and Slaine smiles, although he doesn’t feel entirely at ease just yet. He can count the numbers of true friends he’s had on one hand. Nevertheless, he strides forward with apparent confidence. It was a skill he would never unlearn, faking his self-assurance to the point that he almost believed to be the fearless and calculating man people thought Count Saazbaum-Troyard to be.

The hum stops the second Harklight begins sliding open the door. The room behind it is empty except for a low table at its centre, around which four people have gathered. Again, Slaine isn’t given the time to truly register what he is seeing before one of them is already jumping to his feet, two others following suit almost instantly.

“Sir!”

It takes a moment before Slaine recognises the man under these different circumstances and dressed in similarly low-key Terran clothing as Harklight, but when the memory connects, it’s with another sense or relief.

“The Stygis squad made it?” he asks, although the answer is obvious, seeing how he is currently facing three of their masters.

“There was nothing I wanted more than to follow you into battle in that moment,” Harklight says, and Slaine can see the same sentiment reflected on the masters’ faces. “But you had given us the order to live, and I didn’t want to risk to burden you with our deaths.”

“It definitely wasn’t a decision that was accepted easily,” a deep voice cutting in reminds Slaine of the fourth person, who gets to his feet slowly and without the officious nature of the Stygis leaders. “But I guess there wouldn’t have been much honour in dying when both your commanders have ordered you to cease fighting.”

“Count Barouhcruz.” Slaine nods at him in greeting before letting Harklight usher him further into the room.

“Well, my clan was stripped of the title after the war,” he says dryly, motioning to the others to sit down again. “But it’s good to see you up again, Troyard.”

Slaine finds himself unable to reply as he takes in the revelation of their survival for a moment. He had never found the courage to ask Kaizuka about the status of those who had fought for him, partly out of pride, partly out of fear of finding out they had defied his orders and followed him into death. The feeling of guilt had long been familiar at this point, but it had still haunted him for this past year.

“How did you get here?” he finally manages.

“We managed to make a break for it in the general chaos of the fight. A great number of the Moon Base’s soldiers chose to surrender, but we managed to mingle among the troops and later hide on Earth for the time being,” Harklight explains. “The world is still fairly chaotic, so hiding isn’t too hard if you know how to be inconspicuous enough.”

“We of course tried to get information as to your fate, Sir,” the female master chimes in, “because we couldn’t quite believe the UFE’s convenient version, but it took us several months just to get anything resembling reliable intel, let alone anything concrete.”

“But why bother with me in the first place?” Slaine’s clenches his fists, and he fixes his eyes on a knothole in the table’s wood grain, trying to mask the overwhelming mixture of relief, regret and frustration he’s feeling. “I led you straight into defeat and cost so many lives of your comrades. Took them myself, even.”

He lifts his head to look at Barouhcruz at that, whose expression remains neutral.

“Marylcian challenged you knowing what would happen if he lost. The same goes for those who followed you and Count Saazbaum. And still, you managed to inspire a sense of unity and wish for revolution in the Versian population unlike anyone before. Is our loyalty to you so surprising?”

“There’s been a push for changes to the existing power structure from the citizens of Vers which is all thanks to you,” the man to his left adds. “The fact that a man like you managed to claw your way to the top and actually change things inspired them.”

“I sincerely wish for Vers to have a better future, but evidently my plan to force it to change through war and occupation didn’t work out, so I don’t think that me being involved with whatever Versian organisation is going to help the people’s cause.” Slaine hesitates a bit before adding: “Empress Asseylum was always sympathetic towards her people. I’m sure she’s open to listening to the ideas, as long as my name is not attached.”

“She’s attempting reforms, but those who were in favour of your methods obviously are dissatisfied with the speed at which she proceeds.”

“We couldn’t directly contact her either, of course,” Harklight explains. “Apart from Princess Lemrina, all those of your inner circle have been stripped of rank and title and are to be arrested. We tried to at least keep contact with Princess Lemrina, but it was getting increasingly difficult, so we prioritised our search for you instead.”

Slaine shakes his head.

“I still don’t understand why. Freeing me might just make matter worse for Vers.”

He doesn’t want to say _I’m tired of fighting, I can no longer lead you, I was ready to atone for my sins,_ but he also doesn’t want them to believe he can take the role as a figurehead once again, especially not against Asseylum. Him being spared from death had been on her request, and now that he’s gotten over the first shock, the rational part of him begins to worry how his escape would reflect on Vers’ relationship with Earth.

“We didn’t want to break you out without discussing these matters with you, of course. However, matters took a turn for the worse in the last month.”

Harklight frowns, and Slaine notices that now that the joy over his reappearance has simmered down a bit, there’s a distinctly tense atmosphere in the room.

“What happened?”

“There’s some individuals on Vers who take your ideals to the extreme and are willing to risk a bloody revolution in order to see them fulfilled at a higher speed than possible with the Empress’ approach.” When Slaine doesn’t react instantly, Barouhcruz goes on: “They think that nothing will change unless they forcibly strip the entire royal family from their power and make them mere vehicles for Aldnoah’s power.”

Dread creeps up Slaine’s spine, because he can easily imagine that after the war and its abrupt ending with Vers’ capitulation, more than just a few people would be in the right mindset to be enticed by the idea.

“Attempting to do that is risking loosing Aldnoah altogether and becoming subservient to Earth by default,” he tries to argue rationally, before recalling that among those present, it was no secret that his loyalty to the Empress was unshakeable. “And spilling the blood of the one person who’s willing to actually listen and make changes for the better is just senseless an short-sighted.”

And it wasn’t just Asseylum either, who had been willing to die for her people without a single thought for her own happiness, but Princess Lemrina as well, who had fought alongside him for the rights of those left behind by the first Emperor’s system.

“We knew that if there’s one thing you’d never tolerate, it’s the Princesses being hurt in your name,” Harklight says. “That’s why when the sentiment among these dissidents grew stronger, we knew that one way the other we’d have to clear your name of these ties.”

“And then we were contacted by a reliable informant about your exact location and given the rough idea of an extraction plan."

"A reliable informant?" Slaine asks, warily. He himself hadn't been contacted by any outside force in the prison, so it struck him as odd.

He again catches the people present exchange a short glance among themselves, before Harklight continues: "That person let us know they'd provide us with the opportunity to free you without shedding blood, on the condition that you'd do something for them in return."

Slaine narrows his eyes instantly at the catch. He had survived years among the power struggles on Vers, he would not be caught in a debt this easily.

"What favour?"

“It's about Asseylum, Slaine-sama. This person believes she’s in immediate danger, and they hink you’re the only one who can save her. That is, if you are up for the task.”

“You know I’d lay my life down for her at any moment.” Slaine puts as much strength into his words as he can. “Her happiness is worth more than my life. What do you want me to do?”

 

He dreams of the beach again that night, but it’s slightly different.

This time, when she reaches out for his hand, he pulls her to him instead until she is safely in his arms.

“I’m right here,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to her hair. “And this time, I won’t let you go.”

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

Someone had opened one of the large windows overlooking the garden outside, and Asseylum takes a deep breath of the cool outside air, closing her eyes and trying to make the most of her short moment of rest.

The hum of the crowd behind her, the rustling of long dresses and suits, the soft chinking of glasses, all audible just now before the next piece of music sets in. She finds herself longing for a moment of total quiet and wonders if she could hear crickets outside, or maybe owls. Did they have owls in this part of the country? Slaine for sure could have told her, and the thought stings.

“Are you alright, milady?”

Asseylum opens her eyes again and finds Klancain at her side, holding out a glass of water for her.

“I’m fine, thank you,” she says with a smile, and taking the glass with a grateful nod.

“If the event is tiring you out to much, you shouldn’t push yourself, I’m sure considering your circumstances, it would be acceptable for you to leave earlier.”

“As the host? That would be very unorthodox, downright rude.” Asseylum laughs at her friend’s frown, trying to hide that she is indeed beyond tired at this point.

Navigating the goodwill mission had sounded like a rather easy task at age 15, but now, as the Empress of Vers with the fate of her entire country riding on her shoulders, surviving days of meetings, conferences and social gatherings like these following up on each other with little to no rest, she realises just what a task she had set out for herself back then. Nevertheless, she hasn’t regretted it for a second.

“It’s an opportunity to share our culture with the people of Earth,” she explains, handing the empty glass over to a waiter passing by. “And also share it with our own people who’ve been denied entry to events such as these in the bast due to the strict social norms. Me leaving would defy the point, don’t you think?”

She turns around, letting her gaze wander over colourful mixture of people present. The idea had been that everyone should be able to attend this charity event, no matter if from nobility, Earth’s military or common folk, and while some of the Versian counts had complained about having to once venture out without their trademark uniforms, in the end, they had complied. From appearances, it was impossible to tell where the people were from, and that was the whole point. After all, it was still her conviction that there was no inherent difference between the people of Vers and those of Earth, and if only people could understand it, she thinks it could quell a lot of the prejudice and hate that extremists on both sides still try to foster.

Klancain sighs, but bows slightly.

“It is, of course, your choice, Your Highness.”

“You don’t need to be that formal with me, I told you that.”

Even if they had agreed on cancelling their rushed engagement once things had calmed down between Saazbaum’s renegade faction and the rest of Vers, Asseylum still considered him to be a close friend, and a reliable advisor.

“Just make sure you don’t overwork yourself, Your Highness,” he replies, with a hint of humour to his stubborn refusal to let etiquette go, and she smiles in response.

“I promise.”

The orchestra begins with a new, slower tune, and Klancain excuses himself, claiming he had promised this dance to one of his clan’s officers, and Asseylum leans back against the window sill, watching the flow of people on the dance floor. Laughter carries over, and bits of conversation, a curious mix of languages she does and doesn’t understand.

"May I ask for this dance?"

Asseylum turns towards the voice, prepared to voice a friendly excuse, and then stops and stares, wide-eyed.

The hair, combed neatly back, the slightly more defined features and the dark suit throw her off for just a second, but she would recognise this person everywhere, that's how deep his presence is ingrained into her memory and soul.

"Slaine," she whispers, too quiet for anyone to overhear, but he still steps in quickly, pulling her into a stance before she can do anything else, and she follows him automatically.

Him leading is familiar and smooth as he effortlessly brings them into the crowd of those already on the floor. She remembers when she had made him practice on Cruhteo's castle, always under the watchful eyes of Eddelrittuo, and him flushing deep red each time he had made a mistake. As much effort as he had given the task, obviously she had years of experience over him, but still, it had been the most enjoyable dance lessons in her entire life.

"What are you doing here?" she whispers, once she's overcome the initial shock, still staring at him, as if just blinking might make him disappear. "I've heard the reports, but I thought you'd just go and live-"

"Princess," he whispers, barely audible over the music, and the way he looks at her is disarming. There's so much affection and sadness in his eyes that her heart skips a beat, and she squeezes his left hand slightly. I'm here, she thinks, whatever it is, I won't let anything happen to you.

"I've come to protect you. There's some people present here who might be out to harm you and your family, but I will not let that happen."

His voice is stern and decisive, but his hands and movements are gentle. He leads her into a turn, and from the corner of her eyes she catches sight of some of the people she remembers from the Moon Base.

"Protect me?" 

It's not that she doubts his intentions - Slaine had always ever wanted to protect her, to give her the world, to make her dreams come true, even if they had ended up being at odds about how to best achieve it. 

"Some of the people I ended up encouraging don't want to wait for you to achieve your goals peacefully," he explains. There's regret in his voice, and Asseylum pulls him closer, taking over the lead to pull them into a complex shift of direction. Slaine follows her without a hitch. "I caused this, so I will take care that nothing happens to you now, or ever."

"You came even though you'll be in trouble if you're caught?"

"Of course, because it's you."

Asseylum only realises the music has ended because the people around her break up their stances and applaud, but she refuses to let Slaine go.

"Slaine," she says, but the one word carries all the longing, each moment of her travelling Earth with someone at her side who was not him, each time she had seen a bird fly overhead and wished she could turn back time and save him from all the suffering he had endured because of her.

Somewhere from near the entrance, she can hear a commotion, and Slaine tries to pull away.

"It seems they found the one they were looking for, so I'll need to go. I promise I'll keep these extremists at bay from now on, don't you-"

She pulls him down by the neck without thinking, and kisses him in the middle of a room of people. She finds she couldn't care less. Slaine first tenses, then softens in her old, pulling her close, his hand coming up to gently cup her face.

He pulls back all too soon, and for a moment she can see the boy of the past in him, the one she'd saved by a pure miracle, and who had paid her back twentyfold.

"I promise I'll be back," he whispers, and then he's gone, disappeared into the mass of people bustling about.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The sound of waves hitting the shore is in synch with his heartbeat, the sun warm on his skin and so dazzlingly bright that it’s hard to keep his eyes open. He takes a few steps, his feet sinking into the fine sand, and listens to the cries of seagulls somewhere overhead, the birds themselves mere black dots against an endless blue sky.

“It’s exactly like you said, Slaine!”

Her voice is clear and radiant like the ring of a silver bell, and Slaine’s heart skips when he turns and sees her dance along the surf, breathless with joy, the hem of her white skirt transparent with water and her hair trailing behind her like a pale golden veil.

“Why are you still standing there? Come!”

He stretches out his hand instinctively, and she takes it into hers, her grip gentle and reassuring as she pulls him into the waves with him.

“I’ve always wanted to see this sight together with you," she laughs, spinning them around and making the water splash. “I wish we could stay here forever, don’t you agree, Slaine?”

 

He just smiles in response.

"For however long you want, Asseylum"

 

[[FIN]]


End file.
